WaFd (NASDAQ:WAFD) EVP Sells $178,981.00 in Stock

WaFd, Inc. (NASDAQ:WAFD) EVP Cathy Cooper sold 5,300 shares of WaFd stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.77, for a total value of $178,981.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 94,755 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,199,876.35. The trade was a 5.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

WaFd Price Performance

Shares of WAFD opened at $33.71 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.56 billion, a PE ratio of 11.66 and a beta of 0.86. WaFd, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $23.75 and a fifty-two week high of $34.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 0.95. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $32.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $31.20.

WaFd (NASDAQ:WAFD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 16th. The bank reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76 by ($0.01). WaFd had a return on equity of 8.67% and a net margin of 17.45%.The company had revenue of $188.32 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $193.36 million. Equities analysts predict that WaFd, Inc. will post 2.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

WaFd Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. WaFd’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.37%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on WAFD. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $34.00 price objective on WaFd in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on shares of WaFd from $33.50 to $30.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of WaFd in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of WaFd from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of WaFd from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $32.90.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WaFd

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WAFD. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in shares of WaFd by 42.8% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,174 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 352 shares during the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC boosted its stake in shares of WaFd by 57.6% during the 2nd quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 1,327 shares of the bank’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in WaFd by 604.5% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,423 shares of the bank’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 1,221 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S purchased a new position in shares of WaFd during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in WaFd by 36.0% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,837 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 486 shares in the last quarter. 83.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting WaFd

Here are the key news stories impacting WaFd this week:

• Positive Sentiment: WaFd declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share (annualized $1.08), ex‑dividend Feb. 13 and payable Feb. 27 — supports income investors and dividend yield (~3.2%). MarketBeat Report
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS forecast to $3.03 and bumped several near‑term quarterly estimates (Q2 2026 to $0.73, Q3 2026 to $0.76, Q4 2026 to $0.79 and Q1 2027 to $0.81) — these upward tweaks support near‑term earnings outlook and may underpin buy interest. MarketBeat Report
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street Zen moved WaFd to a “Hold” rating (an upgrade from a prior weaker stance), which reduces short‑term downside from that shop and can reassure some investors. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional activity: several funds (Arrowstreet, Ameriprise, Millennium, William Blair, Citadel) adjusted positions recently — institutional ownership remains high (~83.7%), which can amplify moves but is informational. MarketBeat Report
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: EVP Cathy Cooper sold 5,300 shares at an average $33.77 on Feb. 6 (SEC filing). Insider selling can raise short‑term caution even though the executive retains a large stake. InsiderTrades Article
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed FY2027 EPS to $3.21 (from $3.27) and reduced some 2027 quarterly forecasts (notably Q3/Q4 2027), signaling modestly weaker longer‑term growth expectations that could cap multiple expansion. MarketBeat Report

About WaFd

Washington Federal, Inc, doing business as WaFd Bank, is a publicly traded bank holding company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Through its subsidiary, WaFd Bank, the company provides a range of banking and financial services to individuals, small-to-medium enterprises, and commercial clients. Established in 1917 as Ballard Savings & Loan in Seattle, the institution expanded over decades to serve customers across the Western United States under the Washington Federal name and has operated as a public company since the early 1980s.

WaFd Bank’s core offerings encompass deposit accounts such as checking, savings, money market, and certificates of deposit, alongside consumer and commercial lending products.